Craftsy

Tuesday, 14 January 2014

Crochet and a new stitchery

My new years resolution is to teach myself crochet, I have made a start by making a couple of granny squares and then progressing to make this little pincushion, unfortunately my stitching has virtually come to a grinding halt since the 4th January as I have been poorly since then.

I was diagnosed with Shingles and to be honest I have never felt pain like it, I had heard of it and knew it was painful but this was off the scale painful! I am still in a lot of pain but have managed to sit up and do this post and a little crochet (when the pain killers work) but to be honest I don't seem to get much relief , it seems I will just have to let it run its course until I start to feel better.

Apparently, for those of you that don't know what Shingles is, it is the chicken pox virus that lies dormant in the body from chicken pox in childhood and it gets reignited if your immune system is weakened. My Doctor thinks because I am on a steroid inhaler for Asthma this can weaken the immune system and it triggers the Shingles virus, it also tends to attack in people over 50, however, children can get it too but it is very rare in children.

Back to my stitching news.......

More photos below

This week I can show you some stitching I did before I became ill, this is a stitchery I am making into a wall hanging, of course it is a freebie, you know how I like my freebies!

You can get the pattern from Kaaren Johnston's gorgeous blog at the Painted Quilt Blog here

The pattern for the crochet pincushion is from Sandra's lovely blog over at Cherry Heart here you will find a tutorial and photos to follow.

If you would like some inspiration you can see my pinterest board where I have pinned lots of interesting crochet pictures, some are UK but some are Amercan, the stitches are different in both countries.

I have also signed up for a Valentine Exchange, I started stitching a few items a few weeks ago but have not had the energy to complete it yet, it is a secret exchange so I will show it on my blog once my partner receives it.

Nearly ready for the binding

Playing around with various designs

Hopefully I will be back on my feet in a week or two and I can get back to my stitching, until then.....

27 comments:

I hope you'll be fully recovered soon so you can enjoy doing more crocheting. The pincushion is lovely. I like the colour combination. I would like to take up crocheting when I can get out and buy some wool.

So sorry to read you have so much pain.... I quickly used the translation to find out what sickness you have, ouch, that is a painful one! I hope you have a speedy recovery!In the meantime, take your time and listen to your body and do just the things you want.Not a very good start of 2014, ik hope it will improve a lot for you!Greetings from Holland,Marjan

Oh my Lynn...while I haven't had them, my dear friend's mum did and she was in agony with them! So I can well understand that everything would come to a standstill! I absolutely love your crochet!! Thanks for the link. I, too, have been promising to try my hand at it, but other than getting a few chains done, I haven't quite gotten it...so will definitely be having a look at the link :) Feel better and can't wait to see your Valentine Exchange!

Sorry to hear that stitching is at a lull for you...but, I do love your crochet initiation! Granny squares are one of my favorite motifs, but my absolute favorite is the African Flower. Also, have you seen the K-Town blog...she recently designed a "Little Spring Mandala" pattern that is breath-taking...http://made-in-k-town.blogspot.de/2012/05/little-spring-mandala.html

Hi Lynn,Wow, it sounds like my story. I too have shingles and am on a steroid inhaler for my asthma. I know the debilitating pain that it can bring as well as a general "sick" feeling. Kinda like having a mild flu. It does get better...I know it sound cliche', but hang in there and get lots of rest. Your work is beautiful...and your crochet looks like someone who is seasoned at it :) Thank you for sharing the links...I have now found a few more blogs to follow :)Feel better soon,Lisa

ho my, so sorry to read you're suffering this way. Hubby made what we call a zona here, I think it's about the same if not the same...and he still remembers the pain :(I hope you'll recover very soonAnyway your crocheted pieces are lovelyI wish I could have a post a day , entitled 'my first attempt at crochet' =Dtake carexxxx

So sorry to read that you have had the terrible shingles. I had them as a child and I know just what you are going through. Wishing you better days ahead.Your crochet looks great. I could never get the hang of doing crochet.

Sending you kind thoughts that you will be better really soon! I started reading your blog when a friend told me you were stitching Santa's Village. I have yet to start on mine, but look forward to it. Santa's Village looks like such a fun project.

So sorry you are ill, I had shingles a couple of years ago, awful illness, I am fully recovered and did get the shot after my illness.I hope you get well very soon.Now I get loads of rest and stay away from stress.Love your pin cushion, the colors are lovely.

I have had shingles, and yes its very painful.Mine was on my ribs, and unfortunately you will still probally get pain from the area where you have it even after its gone occasionally.Like your crochet and your embroidery is lovely. Hope you are feeling better soonx

Both are just beautiful! I downloaded both the embroidery/quilt pattern and also the crochet pincushion. I know some basic crochet but I want to learn more. My sister just made me the most beautiful shawl for my birthday. I want to learn more. The tutorial is great with lots of pictures. I feel like I should be able to make this one😆 thanks.

Oh, Lynn, I'm so very sorry to hear about the shingles. Having had them myself, I know how extremely painful they are (and mine was a so-called "mild case!" My son actually got a case of them, too, when he was just 19 and starting college--I think it was stress-related in his case. Hope you feel better very, very soon!

Your crocheting and new project are looking great--it seems like you can master just about any craft that you tackle :)

Sorry to hear that you've had shingles Lynn. I hope you're feeling better although I think it can take some time to fully recover.It looks as though you made good use of your time teaching yourself to crochet.Who would ever know you were a beginner?Margaret